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Rights and Freedoms16 October 2023Media Release
Finalists announced for 2023 Australian Human Rights Awards
Monday 16 October 2023: A diverse array of people and organisations from across Australia have been selected as finalists for this year’s Australian Human Rights Awards, the country’s premier national event for honouring and celebrating Australia’s human rights heroes. The 21 finalists were selected from over 260 nominations across five categories, including the prestigious Australian Human Rights ... -
Rights and Freedoms16 July 2019Media Release
Urgent call for Federal Government to protect 30,000 refugees and asylum seekers at risk in the community
The Australian Human Rights Commission calls on the Australian Government to make urgent changes to improve protections for approximately 30,000 refugees and asylum seekers living in the Australian community. A new report released today, Lives on hold: Refugees and asylum seekers in the ‘Legacy Caseload’ , reveals the human rights situation for approximately 30,000 refugees and asylum seekers ... -
Rights and Freedoms17 January 2019Media Release
Finalists announced – 2018 Human Rights Law Award
The five finalists for the 2018 Human Rights Awards’ Law Award have been selected, with two from Western Australia competing for the prize. “We have received the highest number of entries for the Law Award since the Human Rights Awards the awards began in 1987,” said Commission President, Professor Rosalind Croucher. Accessing legal services remains a major hurdle for disadvantaged Australians and ... -
Race Discrimination19 April 2021Media Release
Stop mass incarceration to prevent deaths in custody
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, June Oscar AO said Australia must stop the “mass incarceration” of its Indigenous people or else deaths in custody will continue to occur. Commissioner Oscar said her thoughts are with all the families who have lost loved ones over recent months, and in the 30 years since the Report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in ... -
Rights and Freedoms17 January 2019Media Release
Winners announced - 2018 Human Rights Awards
The Honourable Justice Peter McClellan AM and Chrissie Foster have won the prestigious 2018 Human Rights Medal for their enormous contribution to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Chrissie Foster has long campaigned for justice for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse and Justice McClellan led the five-year Royal Commission. Accepting the Medal at ... -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees6 October 2021Media Release
Statement on ending offshore processing in PNG
The Australian Human Rights Commission acknowledges the Federal Government’s announcement that it will stop the offshore processing of asylum seekers on Papua New Guinea at the end of 2021. -
Race Discrimination8 May 2019Media Release
National Consultations with Australian Muslims
The Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan will today announce a series of national consultations with the Muslim community in Australia about their experiences of hate speech and violence and about their ideas for change. Commissioner Tan will make the announcement at a Harmony Day Event in Sydney. “In the aftermath of the horrific attacks in Christchurch, I want to hear the voices of Muslim ... -
Rights and Freedoms17 January 2019Media Release
President announces National Summit on Human Rights
The President of the Australian Human Rights Commission Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM will today announce plans for a National Summit on Human Rights . Professor Croucher will announce the National Summit at the 2018 Human Rights Awards at Sydney’s Westin Hotel. “The National Summit, to be held mid-2019, will promote awareness of the importance of human rights in 21st century Australia. ... -
Children's Rights21 July 2022Media Release
Government action needed to protect children in detention
Learn how the Human Rights Commission is deeply concerned about the safety and wellbeing of teenagers who were kept in adult detention centres. -
Children's Rights4 October 2019Media Release
UN calls for national action to protect the rights of children and young people in Australia
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is calling on Australia to prioritise raising the age of criminal responsibility as part of its Concluding Observations on Australia's performance in protecting the country's children and young people. This comes at a time when there is a strong push around the country to improve our responses to juvenile offending and do more to divert children from ... -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice20 October 2023Media Release
Commissioners distressed by death of boy after being detained in Perth prison
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO, and National Children's Commissioner Anne Hollonds have issued a joint statement following the death of a First Nations teenager who had been held in a youth detention unit at the Casuarina adult prison in Perth. Commissioner Oscar: “My thoughts are with the family and community of the 16-year-old boy who passed ... -
Children's Rights17 January 2019Media Release
Commission welcomes National Apology
The Australian Human Rights Commission today welcomes the Prime Minister’s National Apology to Victims and Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse, which will take place this morning at Parliament House in Canberra. The National Children’s Commissioner, Megan Mitchell said it’s an incredibly significant and historic moment in time. “I applaud the Prime Minister in taking this opportunity to ... -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice17 January 2019Media Release
Wiyi Yani U Thangani - this is your time to have your say
The Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO is calling for submissions from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls and key organisations for the Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) project. As part of the project, Commissioner Oscar and her team have so far visited more than 40 communities and have heard from more than 1800 women and girls across the country in urban, regional ... -
Sex Discrimination8 February 2023Media Release
Commission welcomes parliament’s codes of conduct and improved workplace safety
The codes set standards of conduct for parliamentarians, staffers, and all other employees in parliamentary workplaces. They were endorsed by the Senate this morning and debated in the House, which is expected to also endorse them soon. -
Disability Rights8 May 2019Media Release
Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse and Neglect of People with Disability
Statement from Alastair McEwin, Disability Discrimination Commissioner I support the motion to hold a Royal Commission into the violence, abuse and neglect of people with disability. I call upon the Government to act immediately on this motion by proceeding to establish the Royal Commission without further delay. The prevalence and pervasiveness of violence, abuse and neglect against people with ... -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice8 May 2019Media Release
Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) funding announcement welcomed
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO has welcomed the announcement of new funding for the Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) project. The Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion today announced $1.7 million to support the second stage of the project, as part of the Fourth Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against ... -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice20 March 2024Media Release
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Report launched today
Australian Human Rights Commission President Gillian Triggs and Deputy Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Robynne Quiggin today launch the Social Justice and Native Title Report 2016. The document is a state-of-the-nation report on the social justice and native title issues affecting Indigenous Australians in 2016. Major developments during the year include the ... -
Commission – General17 January 2019Media Release
Finalists for 2018 Government Award revealed
Four finalists have been selected from a diverse range of nominations for the 2018 Human Rights Awards’ Government Award. This year marks the first time our Awards recognise Government as a stand-alone category. “There are many Government groups and individuals helping others overcome discrimination and isolation and building tolerance and respect in the community and further afield,” said ... -
Rights and Freedoms12 December 2019Media Release
Human Rights Award medal announced today
A former Socceroo, a disability rights activist, the author of best-seller Dark Emu , a leading business consultant, and a campaigning lawyer from Queensland are waiting to hear if they will be awarded the prestigious Human Rights Award medal on Friday. The winners in all nine categories of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s annual Human Rights Awards will be announced today at a ceremony at ... -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice8 May 2019Media Release
Our Health, Our Voice, Our Choice
The Close the Gap Campaign has welcomed the Prime Minister’s commitment to work in genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to address the inequality that continues to exist in life expectancy and other outcomes. The Prime Minister Scott Morrison has tabled the Government’s Closing the Gap Report and restated the government’s commitment to work collaboratively in a ...